Frequently asked questions

Residenza Ca' laRipa is a family house built in 1791 at Solto Collina, on the hill overlooking Lake Iseo, in the province of Bergamo. The Ranzanici family have lived in it for six generations and let three holiday units there: the Palazzo and Panorama apartments, on the same floor of the main house and modular with one or two bedrooms, and Casa Terrazza, joined to the main house but self-contained, for stays of at least 31 nights. The owners live in the annexe next door.

The house was built in 1791 by Giovanni Ranzanici: the date is carved on the capital of a column. It began as a family home and farm, with silkworms reared on the second floor; in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was a centre of farming life on the hill. The family have lived in it for six generations and have kept the terracotta floors, the painted ceilings and many pieces of the original furniture.

At Via dei Fantoni 16, Solto Collina (BG), on the Bergamo shore of Lake Iseo, between Lovere and Riva di Solto. The house is on the hill above the lake, away from the lakeside traffic: from the garden and the sun terrace you can see the water and the mountains.

Three. The Palazzo apartment sleeps up to five people, the Panorama apartment up to four, Casa Terrazza up to eight. With just one bedroom, Palazzo and Panorama sleep up to three people.

Depending on the time of year they are let with two bedrooms or with just one, at a lower price. Each bedroom has its own private bathroom. With one bedroom they sleep no more than three people. In the Palazzo apartment the bedroom let on its own is the one with the walnut sleigh beds. The one-bedroom configuration depends on the dates.

Yes. The two apartments are on the same floor of the main house: if you book them together you have the whole main house to yourselves, with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, the garden and the sun terrace over the lake. It is the solution for two families or for a group of up to nine people.

It is the most classic in style of the three, on the first floor of the main house, with terracotta floors. It has two double bedrooms, each with its own bathroom with shower; one has the walnut sleigh beds. The living room has a table for six, an induction kitchenette and a small double sofa bed. The bedrooms look onto the garden.

It is the apartment with the view, on the first floor of the main house: from the living-room windows and from one bedroom you can see Lake Iseo. It has two double bedrooms, each with its own bathroom with shower, a living room with a kitchenette and a table for four, a painted ceiling and, in one bedroom, a carved wooden headboard that has been in the family for generations.

It is a house on two floors, joined to the main house but with its own entrance from the street. On the ground floor are the living room with two sofas, armchairs and a television, a semi-professional kitchen with five burners and two sinks, the dining area under a vaulted ceiling, the laundry room with a washing machine and a guest WC. On the first floor are three bedrooms with a view of the lake, linked by a small terrace, and a full bathroom with shower. Outside there is a private terrace with a gazebo overlooking the lake.

In the Palazzo apartment, two double bedrooms (one with the walnut sleigh beds) and a small double sofa bed in the living room. In the Panorama apartment, two double bedrooms. In Casa Terrazza, one double bedroom, one with two single beds and a large bedroom with a double bed and two singles.

Yes. The Palazzo and Panorama apartments have a kitchenette with fridge, freezer and microwave: with an induction hob in Palazzo, an electric hob in Panorama. Casa Terrazza has a semi-professional kitchen with five burners and two sinks and a large dining area under a vaulted ceiling.

In the Panorama apartment the lake can be seen from the living-room windows and from one bedroom. In Casa Terrazza it can be seen from the three bedrooms and from the private terrace. Guests in Palazzo and Panorama have the sun terrace overlooking the lake; the Palazzo bedrooms look onto the garden.

The Palazzo and Panorama apartments share the large private garden, the sun terrace with tables and parasols overlooking the lake, and the laundry room; if you book them together, these spaces are yours alone. Casa Terrazza has its own spaces: the private terrace, the laundry room and a separate entrance from the street.

Yes. The Palazzo and Panorama apartments are on the first floor and are reached by a wide, easy staircase. In Casa Terrazza the living area is on the ground floor and the bedrooms are on the first floor, reached by the stairs.

Yes, it is designed for families. In front of the house there is a large private lawn, enclosed and safe, where children can play in peace: we provide balls and games, while parents relax on the sun terrace with its view of the lake. Each bedroom in the Palazzo and Panorama apartments has its own bathroom, and the cot and high chair are free, subject to availability.

Children under 2 stay free, whether they sleep in their parents' bed or in the cot, which we provide free of charge subject to availability, as we do the high chair. From the age of 2 every guest counts, and an extra bed costs the same as on Airbnb for the same property, with our 10% off.

Yes, we provide a cot and high chair free of charge, subject to availability: let us know when you write. Children under 2 who sleep in the cot or in their parents' bed stay free.

Booking direct with the family, the price is 10% lower than the one shown on Airbnb for the same property and the same dates. You can book using the form on this website, by email at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at (+39) 333 10 11 555.

The Palazzo and Panorama apartments are let for 2 nights or more; depending on the time of year the minimum may be longer. Casa Terrazza is let only for 31 nights or more, with a tourist letting contract for more than thirty days.

Bed linen and towels, final cleaning, Wi-Fi and parking. Not included is the municipal tourist tax of €1 per person per night, from the age of 14 and for a maximum of ten nights, which is paid in cash on arrival.

When you book, a 50% deposit is paid by bank transfer. If you cancel up to 14 days before arrival the deposit is refunded in full, less any transaction costs (transfers within the SEPA area normally have none). Within the 14 days before arrival the deposit is retained. The remaining 50% is paid on arrival.

Arrival is from around 15:00, departure by 11:00. If the property is already free and clean, early check-in is possible at no extra charge: just ask when you book.

We hand over and collect the keys ourselves, in person. We live in the annexe next door: we are here when you arrive, when you leave and during your stay.

Yes, all three units are also on Airbnb; Casa Terrazza with a minimum stay of 31 nights. Booking direct with us, the price is 10% lower.

We do, Andrea and Svea, the family who run the house, and we answer quickly: usually the same day. You can reach us by email at [email protected], by phone or on WhatsApp at (+39) 333 10 11 555.

All the units have heating with a thermostat. There is no air conditioning: the very thick walls of the house keep it cool all summer, and we provide portable fans on request.

Yes. The Palazzo and Panorama apartments have a shared laundry room, separate from the apartments, with a washing machine and tumble dryer. Casa Terrazza has its laundry inside the house, with a washing machine.

Yes, Wi-Fi is included in all the units.

For the Palazzo and Panorama apartments, parking is covered, within the property. For Casa Terrazza, parking is along the street, free of charge.

Smoking is allowed in the shared outdoor areas, such as the garden and the sun terrace. There is no smoking inside the units.

Yes, on request, with a supplement of €30 per stay for final cleaning.

Yes. The lawn in front of the house, the arched veranda and the indoor spaces can host events for up to 150 people. There is no set package: it is agreed each time, according to the number of people and what you have in mind. Those who wish can stay in the apartments.

In the village: Fresco Mio, in Via San Rocco in Solto Collina, about 500 metres from the house, a few minutes' walk away.

The nearest little beach is the one at the Trenta Passi restaurant, on the lakeside at Riva di Solto, about 5 km from the house, less than ten minutes by car.

By car is the most convenient: the house has parking and the lake villages are scattered among the hills. The nearest airport is Bergamo Orio al Serio, about 40 km away (about 50 minutes without traffic). The city of Bergamo is about 39 km away, Brescia about 60 km.

Approximate driving times, without traffic: Milan about an hour and a half (89 km), Verona about 1 hour 40 minutes (124 km), Venice about 2 hours 45 minutes (235 km). Bergamo's Upper Town (Città Alta) is less than an hour away.

Ferries to Monte Isola leave from Sulzano and Sale Marasino, on the Brescia shore; scheduled boats also call at the villages on the Bergamo shore, with timetables that change with the season. Up-to-date timetables are on the lake's official tourist portal, visitlakeiseo.info, on the Orario traghetti e battelli (ferry and boat timetable) page.

On the lake: Monte Isola, the largest lake island in Italy, Lovere and its lakefront, the villages of the Bergamo shore. To the south, Franciacorta with the wineries of its sparkling wine. To the north, Val Camonica, with the rock carvings that in 1979 became the first Italian site to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Terme di Boario spa. And Bergamo's Upper Town (Città Alta), with its Venetian walls, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Every season has its own lake. From June to August you can swim and the boats run more frequently. May and September are mild and less crowded, the best months for walking and cycling. In spring the wisteria and the roses on the veranda come into flower; in autumn there are the colours of the woods and the calm after the summer. In winter the lake is quiet, and half an hour to an hour's drive away there are small ski resorts such as Monte Pora and Presolana, Montecampione and Borno: you ski by day and come back to the lake in the evening. Casa Terrazza is also designed for those who want to spend a whole season here.